le mieux



(No Model.)

L. LE MIEUX. STEAM ENGINE VALVE.

Patent-ed Dec. 22, 1891 UNITED STATES PATENT @rrrcn.

LUCIUS A. I B[IEUX, OF SEYMOUB, \VISOONSIN.

STEAM-ENGINE VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,670, dated December 22, 1891.

Application filed April 3,1891. Serial No. 387,548. (No modal.)

T0 (LZZ whom it mwy 001068770.

Be it known that I, LUOIUS A. LE MIEUX, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Seymour, in the county of Outagamie, and in the State of Wisconsin, have invented certain neW and useful Itnprovements in Steam-Engine Valves; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact tion thereof.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in steam-engine valves, and relates more particularly to a novel construction in rotary valves 'of the same general construction as that shown in a prior patent, granted to me on November 25, 1890, and numbered 441,176.

' The invention consists in the matters hercinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating my invention, Figure 1 is a longitudinal section of a rotary valve embodying my invenfion. Fig. 2 is a cross-section of the same on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is across-section on line 3 3 of Fig. 1. Fig.4 is alongitudinal sectional vietv illustrating a modified form of m y improvement, taken on line 4 4of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a cross-section on line 5 5 of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a separate view of one of the parts.

In said drawings, A indicates a cylindrical steam-chest, provided With steam inlet and exhaust ports (L and a, respectively, and with ports a a leading to the opposite ends of the cylinder.

B indicates as a whole the rotary valve, which comprises a trame provided With cylindrical ends B B, connected together by parallel bars or side walls Z) Z), said frame being centrally supported Within the cylindrical steam-chest npon a shait B by means of whieh motion is communicated to the valve through the medium of any suitable mechanism. Packingrings B B are located upon the outside of the two end portions B B 01: the valve-frame, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings.

O 0 are valve-plates of substantially T shape, said valve-plates being adj ustably engaged with the valve-trame B.

As shown in the drawings, the shankof each of the T-shaped valve-plates C 0 is movably engaged betwcen the two parallel side descripwalls Z) I) of the said trame, and the outer portions of said valve-plates are cnrved, so as to fit closely against the inner surface of the steamchest A.

In order to keep the valve-plates C C- constantly pressed outwardly against the inner surface of the steam-chcst,I provide means for introducing steam into the interiorofi the valve, between the inner ends of the valveplates C C. Asshown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, I provide a duct D upon the inner surfaceof the steam-chest A, said duct communicating with a peripheral groove D upon the outer su rface of one of the packing-rings B B and a radial duct D leading to the center of one of the cylindrical ends B 3 of the valveframe and communicatingwith theperipheralgroove or ductD atits outer end. The duct or groove D is located in the inner surface of the steamchest in such :1 position as to-open into the steaminlet port, so as to afford a constant supply of. steam to the interior of the valve. By this construction steam is permitted to enter through the duots D, D, and I) to the interior of the valve, and the steam thus admitted serves to press the two valveplates outWardly against the walls of the steamchest, so as to prevent any leakage of steam between the said valve-plates and the walls et the steam-chest.

In the form of construction shownin Figs. et, 5, and 6 a steam-passage E is provided in each of the valve-plates, said passages being arranged to come alternately into communication with the steaminlet port as the rotary valve is rvolved b the valve-actuating mechanism. A reciprocating valve E is located between the plates C C and is provided With two bearing-surfaces, preferably 01: substantially conical form, arranged t0 engage correspondingly-shaped seats e e in the two valveplates C C. TW0 stems e 6 are provided upon the opposite ends of the reciprocating valve E, said stems being arranged to rnove loosely within the steam-passages E, as shown in Figs. 4: and 5. By this arrangement a suffioient space is left outside of the stems e" a to permit steam to enter through the inside of the passages E E and around the stems e 6 to the inside of the rotary valve, so as to press the two valve-plates outwardly against the walls of the steam-chest. The stems e 6 are made of tubular form,so as to admit steam to' the 1ns1de of the valve E also, and said valve is provided With a diaphragm E upon its inside to prevent the steam from passingthrough the said valve E. By this arrangement, when the passage E in one of the valve-plates C comes into communication With the steaminlet port, steani immediately enters through said passage to the interior of the valve E and by its pressure upon the diaphragm E forces said valve against the seat in the opposite valve-plate 0. At the same ti me steam passes around the outside of the stem 6 and enters the space between the two valve-plates O C, thereby operating to hold said valveplates elosely against the walls of the steamchest and to prevent any lcakage of steam past said plates. In this form of construction, also, the outer surfaces et the valve-plates C 0 are provided with short transverse grooves e" 6 communicasingx with the outer ends of the steam-passages E E and extending nearly to the edges of the bearing-surlaces of the said valve-plates, so that as soon as one of said valve-plates begins to move across the steaminlet port the steam Will pass through said transverse groove and immediately enter the passage E, so as to hold the valve-plates outwardly against the walls of the steam-chest, as before described.

By my improvements I am enabled to provide a rotary valve Whieh works with the Ieast possible amount of friction, neing practically balanced by the steam-pressure, and also working smoothly and tightly with varying degrees of steam-pressure.

A great advantage of the constructions herein described over the form shown in the before-mentioned prior patent, in which the valve-plates are held apart by springs, is that in order to insure the operation of the rotary valve under varying degrees of steam-pressure the springs whieh hold said valve-plates apart must be made suffieiently strong and stitf to. hold said valve plates outwardly against a heavy steam-pressure, so that when steam under a lesser pressure is used the friction caused by the outward pressure of said springs is greater than it the springs were only stiff enough to hold the valve-plates outward against the steam under this lesser pressure, while by the forms of construction herein described the pressure of the stearn between the valve-plates to hold said plates apart is always proportionate to the pressure oarrying two valve-plates expansibly conneoted therewith, and means for introduc1ng live steam between the said valve-plates upon the interior of said trame, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. The herein-deseribed valve for steamengines, comprising a revoluble trame having cylindriealendportionsand parallellongitudinal aide bars or walls, two valve-plates expansibly connected With said side bars or walls, and means for introduoing live steam between said valve-plates upon the interior of said trame, substantially as deseribed.

3. 'lhe herein-described rotary valve for steam-engines, comprising a revoluble valveframe provided With eylindrical end portions and parallel longitudinal side bars or walls, two valve-plates expansibly engaged Witl1 said longitudinal walls, and a steam-passage communicating at one end with the steaminlet port and at the other end With the space between the inner ends of said valve-plates within said revoluble trame, substantially as described.

4. The hereindescribed rotary valve for steam engines, comprising a rotary frame having cylindrical end portions and parallel longitudinal side bars or walls, two valveplates et substantially T sl1ape expansibly engaged With said side walls, and a steampassage leading from the steam-inlet port and communicating With the spaee between the inner ends ot said valve-plates within said revoluble trame, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I elaim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand, at Milwaukee, in the county ot Milwankee and State of Wis' eonsin, in the prcsence of two witnesses.

LUCIUS A. LE MIEUX. litnesses:

H. G. UNDERYVOOD, JOHN E. WILES. 

